Chapter 18
Chiron POV
I watch as Percy makes eye contact with the others he came with, I'm glad the once terrified boy has found friends that will help him transfer into his new life here. My gaze wanders to Nico and Bianca Di Angelo. A strange pair, considering most children of Hades were angry and full of spite. These two however seemed sad, probably the loss of their mother, but there was a bond between the siblings that kept them from turning that sadness into anger, a sort of love shield from darkness. It was interesting to watch their interactions. Especially between those of Percy and Nico, who according to Artemis only met a few days ago. The fact that Percy wasn't mistrusting of him was strange, but a good sign that he is overcoming his fears, even if they're the same age.
Sighing I turn to the tense spot in the room, Artemis and her hunters were all trying not to stare at Percy who was alone at his table, I can practically feel the intense overprotective force radiating off of them, I wonder how long it will take unti- just as I was wondering it happened. Zoe and Phoebe got up with their plates and with everyone staring at them walk over to Percy's table. All the campers were gaping at Percy while Percy smiled a tiny smile and let them sit on either side of him.
No one spoke, and then it was a flood of talking and movement, four more hunters walked over to Percy and even Leo looked to be debating joining him. A glance from Percy and Leo got up and walked over plopping down across from Percy, Nico and Bianca on either side of him. Just like that the tension around the Hunters went down and warmth seeped into the dining pavilion. Artemis stayed at her table with most of her hunters but smiled at Percy's table, and I know what she thinks.
Percy is going to change things around here, for better or worse, only time will tell.
.
.
.
After breakfast which was tense for the campers who wanted to speak up at the obvious breaking of rules but were too scared to with Artemis there, many wanted to relax with violent sparring, which is where I went to oversee the battles. Artemis and the hunters joined along with Percy, Nico, Leo, and Bianca. I am worried that the campers will gang up on Percy what with him being new and breaking rules already, and his strange connection to the hunters allowing him to not only speak with them, but have them seek him out and protect him. I know it makes some of the boys angry who had crushes on the hunters and I fear for Percy. Hopefully Artemis and Hades prepared him for this.
When the first round was called two boys from the Ares cabin went up to show the newbies what to do. The spar was more of a brawl but gave the desired effect of showing that no bars were held. Next Luke Castellan who had gained quite a name for being one of the best sword fighters came up and called out for the audience to choose an opponent for him, many chose Percy, who paled but with some reassuring words from Leo and squeeze from Nico, he went up. His black sword hung at his hip and Luke looked at it warily.
"Don't worry, I won't use that one to spar with." He said and pulled out twin silver daggers from his sleeves, I look at Artemis who looks smug and nods her head. "You do realize a sword has more reach and you should use it instead of little daggers that are meant for close combat. Right?" He asked, like Percy was an idiot. Instead of flaring up in anger like most ten year old children would, he simply smirked his eyes freezing over, "Then prove it." Luke shook his head,
"Whatever man, don't come crying to me when you lose." I watch as Luke starts slowly swinging his sword in a lazy figure eight and starts walking closer, campers snickering about how quick this match will be over around me were quickly silenced however when Percy quick as lightening shot one blade out twisting it around the sword blade and shoving it out of the way and lunges in with the other quickly holding it to his throat. Dead silence.
Then, the strangest thing. Laughter. Laughter from Artemis, then it seemed to spread to all the hunters and leo. The campers still in shock along with Nico and Bianca could only stare.
"Call it." I said chuckling. "You win." Luke rasped. Percy dropped his blades and sheathed them, he nodded to Luke and walked off the stage back to his seat, his slightly unsteady walking worried me. As soon as he sat, Leo grabbed his hand and started whispering into his ear, Nico sensing something was off grabbed his other one, which was shaking. Percy had his eyes clenched shut and was steadying his breathing as unnoticably as possible. I look at Artemis, she's staring at Percy looking like she wants to run over there and scoop the boy up. The campers and Luke were all still staring at the stage with mouths wide open.
Then slowly a small clap, which progressively grew in size seemed to spread across the Combat Arena. Luke shook his head and smiled, joining the clapping, Percy had opened his eyes and was looking around himself at all the campers cheering for him, he shrank in his seat, but Leo threw an arm over his shoulders, laughing and saying something to Percy that got him to give a small half smile and relax a bit. The two then began bickering and light shined in Percy's eyes. Luke then called for it to quiet down and that everyone should choose the next two fighters.
Strangely enough, most wanted to see Leo and Percy spar. I raised an eyebrow, now what could have brought that about? But Percy and Leo look at each other and smirk, getting up both walked up to the stage. Percy looked at Artemis along with Leo, she shook her head 'no' slightly, they nodded. I catch Artemis's eye, she simply nods back at the two boys. Percy was taking off all his weapons except for his twins daggers and passed Leo something from the bag he was carrying on his back, Leo looked at it excitedly. Then before everyone's eyes, he reaches into a pocket and pulls out a pair of twin hammers that seemed to catch fire, Percy smiled and water surrounded his blades.
The campers were staring in awe at the prep work for the spar and just knew it would be Epic. Leo swings his hammers in a circle and Percy does the same, they smile at each other, a small smile and a huge impish grin. Then they lunge, at the last second Leo swings and Percy slides between his legs aiming for his legs, but Leo jumped and rolled a few feet away back into a standing position. They both looked at Artemis again but she shakes her head no. They nod and Percy raises his brow at him, Leo shrugs. I was amazed at the level of understanding the simple motions seemed to convey.
This time Percy runs in and slashes one blade toward Leo's side while the other jabbed for his throat, Leo surprising everyone, bends away from the blades all the way into a back bend and then kicks his feet off Percy's chest making his stumble back and then flipped over to stand again. Percy deadpanned at him. He just smiled, Percy shook his head and the two lunged again. The fight continued in the strange smash, slash, stab, and acrobatics for a whole ten minutes, when finally they both stopped, panting and nodded at each other walking over to pick up Percy's stuff. The campers were as confused as I,
"Why did you stop? The spar did not have a winner." I asked. Leo looked up at me and then all the campers staring at him, then his face split into its signature grin,
"Because we can't keep sparring, or else this whole place will get destroyed. And HEY! What the hell perce I thought you were actually gonna slice my throat that one time, you know i'm still working on that back bend!" The boy threw his arms up in the air as Percy turned around from packing up his things and rolled his eyes,
" Please we've been practicing that for three months, I knew you could do it. Ash for brains." Leo looked just fit to blow, when suddenly Percy's eyes widened and he drenched him with a water bottle. Silence overtook the Arena, Leo just frozen, then finally he ran his hands through his wet hair,
"Thanks Perce." Percy smirked,
"Anytime. Let's not get you so worked up next time, yea?" Leo nodded and they asked if they could go change, they were sweaty and well, Leo was drenched. I merely nodded, just as mystified as the campers at the odd exchange. Zoe jumped up from the stadium and walked over to them,
"Come on Perce, Leo, I'll show you guys the way to the showers." More campers stared bug eyed. Never before had a hunter offered to show anyone anywhere, let alone two boys. They merely nodded and left the Arena, everyone staring after them. Movement, Artemis stood, motioning for her hunters to stay, they looked disgruntled about this but listened, using Nico and Bianca as a barrier between them and the campers. Artemis walked over to me and whispered under her breath as she walked by,
"Please watch them." I nodded and she was gone.
Percy POV
When my sister dragged us away from the arena I told her to just take us back to my cabin, and Leo and me could just use the shower there. She nodded and lead us there, Leo went to shower first considering he was soaked. I could drench people but I just couldn't figure out how to dry them off. I mean if they're truly dripping I could get some of it, but they'd still be wet. I gave Leo a new set of clothes for him to change into, it was hunter clothes but better than nothing. Zoe was sitting on one of the unused beds and was looking at me curiously.
"What?" I finally asked.
"Were you scared?"
"What?"
"When you had to fight Luke, were you scared? I mean he was older than you, if only by a year or so." Sighing I sat on the bed across from her,
"Yea." I whispered.
"Yea, I was, but. You guys are scared of them too but you don't freak out, and I just, I just wanted to show you guys I could handle it, and you won't have to worry too much when, when you leave…" Zoe shook her head,
"You know, you're probably the only boy in the world that realizes that."
"What? Realizes what?"
"That we're scared." she whispered.
Artemis POV
Where on earth?! I look around the showers again but no one's there. I start, then groan, of course. I head to the Poseidon/Hades cabin. I stop just before the door I can hear talking.
"Yea, I was, but. You guys are scared of them too but you don't freak out, and I just, I just wanted to show you guys I could handle it, and you won't have to worry too much when, when you leave…" That was Percy, what is he talking about? Boys?
"You know, you're probably the only boy in the world that realizes that." Zoe.
"What? Realizes what?"
"That we're scared." Zoe whispered.
They were quiet. I take a breath, I of course know that my girls are scared, but sometimes even I can't tell. They hide their fears so well. I knock, and I can hear someone walk closer, probably Percy considering it was his cabin. The door cracked open and Percy peeked out, seeing me he sighed and opened the door to let me in. I ruffle his hair as I walk past, the raven locks becoming only more messy. He smiled a soft smile and shut the door.
The inside of the cabin was actually quite spacious. The right side of the room had two sets of bunk beds with black blankets and sheets, the closest bunk beds looked lived in, the walls had a brazier with green fire softly illuminating the room. On the left side there were again two sets of bunk beds however these had blue blankets with a water design on them , the walls had fishing nets with seashells and in the back center of the room, a small fountain that cast a blue green glow and had a gentle trickling water sound.
"Percy." he looks at me, a little bit of fear in his eyes. "It's ok to still be scared, I know that it will take awhile to get over your past, it's ok if it takes years. It took me many years before I was able to even talk to a man after, after Orion." I clench my fists and Percy gently grabs my hand and unclenches my fingers. He runs his little hands over the callouses and scars that litter my palms. He opens his mouth and then-
Leo opens the bathroom door. "Hey Perce, can you do the thi-" He freezes, Percy closes his mouth and shakes his head,
"Go sit on the bed, I'll do it." He let's go of my hand and walks into the bathroom coming back out a second later brush in hand. I sit with Zoe mystified, since when did this become a routine? Percy sat behind Leo, gently running his brush through his unruly curly locks, patiently untangling them. By the time he finished, Leo was a puddle in his lap, out cold. Wearing Percy's hunter clothes, I note. Percy shifted Leo to a comfier position laying his across the bed while running his fingers through his hair.
"Nightmares." He whispered.
"What?" Zoe asks.
"We figured out, that if I run my fingers through his hair as he falls asleep, he doesn't get nightmares, at least not as often." I was shocked to say the least, Leo gets nightmare? Happy go lucky, always smiling Leo? Gets nightmares? It made no sense, even Zoe was staring at them bewildered. Percy shook his head a smile gracing his face seeming to light the cabin. Then a sudden thought came to his mind I could tell because his smile dropped just as quickly.
" Mom, where's Ms.O'Leary? Can't she stay in camp with me? Please? She's like my daughter. I don't know what i'll do if I can't see her and watch over her like I always have." He looked at me with large green watery eyes, pleading me, begging me, to give him his baby girl. I sigh,
"Percy, honey. I know she means so much to you but, where will she even stay?"
"I'll get her a bed and and make her an attached house and she'll just, I don't know mom I just- I need her ok? Please?" I look away from him, to get Chiron and Dionysus to agree to let Ms.O'Leary in and stay, will take a lot of persuading and swindling. Good to know I know someone who likes to do just that. A silent summons to the particular god and I smiled. I knew he'd do it.
"I don't know honey, it's just, a lot to ask, we'll try tonight at dinner ok?" He hesitantly nodded, his hands never stopping in their quest to brush all Leo's nightmares away.
AN:
OMFG Again, I DID IT AGAIN.
I am so LATE! I'm sorry you guys, i've just been busy with school, it's my senior year and I am exauhsted.
So? What do you guys think? Good bad? Please send in ideas if you want to see certain things? I know i've got the basic layout of how I want this to go but i'm still not sure. Also, what do you guys think about Luke being a bad guy, like an actual bad guy, not the good guy with bad choices, but bad guy bad guy? I have an idea, but i'm not sure if I want Luke to be the bad guy or an OC I can bring in real quick? Wouldn't even be real important to the story if it was an OC promise. Just need a bad guy for the idea that i'm sure you'll all hate me for. :D
Love you guys, thanks for sticking with me,
WolfMistwood